- OTHER BILLS IN MOTION THIS WEEK AT THE STATE CAPITOL
INCLUDE ASSEMBLY PASSAGE OF AN $80 MILLION
JUVENILE CORRECTIONS PLAN.
THE BILL NOW HEADS TO THE SENATE WHERE THE OUTCOME IS UNCERTAIN.
ALSO THIS WEEK THE SENATE PASSED A BILL THAT ALLOWS DEVELOPERS TO
FILL NON-FEDERAL WETLANDS WITHOUT A PERMIT.
ALSO NINE OF GOVERNOR WALKER'S TEN SPECIAL SESSION WELFARE
BILLS SAW FINAL PASSAGE THIS WEEK, MOSTLY ALONG PARTY LINES.
THE GOVERNOR CALLED THE RAFT OF BILLS "WISCONSIN WORKS FOR
EVERYONE" WELFARE REFORM.
SEVERAL OF THE MEASURES MADE CHANGES TO WISCONSIN'S FOOD
STAMP PROGRAM CALLED FOODSHARE.
MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST MARISA WOJCIK EXPLAINS THE CHANGES IN
TONIGHT'S FAST FACTS SEGMENT.
- AN AVERAGE OF 682,000 PEOPLE RECEIVED FOODSHARE BENEFITS IN
WISCONSIN IN 2017.
WISCONSIN FOODSHARE BENEFITS ARE ENTIRELY FEDERALLY-FUNDED.
IN 2015, WORK REQUIREMENTS WERE ESTABLISHED FOR ENROLLEES TO
RECEIVE BENEFITS.
SINCE THEN, 85,981 PEOPLE
HAVE LOST THEIR BENEFITS DUE TO NOT MEETING WORK REQUIREMENTS.
JUST OVER 25,000 HAVE GAINED EMPLOYMENT UNDER THE PROGRAM.
NEW LEGISLATION WOULD REQUIRE ABLE-BODIED PARENTS TO WORK IF
THEIR CHILD IS OVER THE AGE OF SIX.
LEGISLATION WOULD ALSO CHANGE A MINIMUM WORK REQUIREMENT
FROM 20 HOURS PER WEEK TO 30.
- MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST MARISA WOJCIK ON THE FOODSHARE CHANGES.
IN TONIGHT'S INSIDE LOOK, SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS STAND OUT,
LIKE FOUR TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE LOSING BENEFITS
AS GAINING EMPLOYMENT.
AND THAT'S BEFORE THE LATEST CHANGES TAKE EFFECT.
WE TURN TO REACTION FROM FEEDING WISCONSIN,
THE STATEWIDE NETWORK OF FOOD BANKS
AND ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAVID LEE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
- SO WHY IN YOUR UNDERSTANDING ARE MORE THAN 85,
000 PEOPLE NOT MEETING THE WORK REQUIREMENT AND THEN BEING
INELIGIBLE FOR THEIR FOODSHARE BENEFIT?
- WELL, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR STATE THAT
EXPERIENCE SOME CHALLENGES TO ENGAGING WITH THE LABOR MARKET,
WHETHER THAT'S JOB TRAINING AS PROVIDED BY FSET
OR JUST REGULAR JOBS, RIGHT.
SO WHILE THE STATE HAS ALLOWED PEOPLE TO SATISFY THEIR WORK
REQUIREMENT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS BY PARTICIPATING IN FSET,
PEOPLE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO THE FSET OFFICE OR THEY MIGHT
LACK TRANSPORTATION OR CHILD CARE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE.
- NOW, YOU SAY FSET AND THAT STANDS FOR FOODSHARE EMPLOYMENT
AND TRAINING PROGRAM?
- THAT'S CORRECT, THE WORK TRAINING PROGRAM.
- YOU HAVE SPOKEN FAVORABLY ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
- WELL, WE BELIEVE THAT A GOOD JOB IS THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT
HUNGER AND THE BEST WAY OUT OF POVERTY.
I THINK WHEN THE PROGRAM WORKS FOR THE 25,
000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO JOBS,
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IS A GREAT OUTCOME FOR THEM AND WE
HOPE THAT THEY ARE ON THE WAY TOWARDS A BETTER TOMORROW.
BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE EITHER BEEN
REFERRED TO THE PROGRAM AND HAVE BEEN AGED OUT OF THE PROGRAM OR
JUST DIDN'T PARTICIPATE.
AND I THINK WHILE THE PROGRAM WORKS FOR THE FOLKS WHO GOT
CONNECTED TO JOBS, FOR THE FOLKS WHO DIDN'T,
I THINK UNDERSTANDING AND FINE-TUNING HOW THE PROGRAM
WORKS CAN ACTUALLY LEAD TO BETTER OUTCOMES FOR THOSE FOLKS.
I THINK THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE REALLY WRESTLING WITH IS HOW DO
WE ENSURE THE PROGRAM WORKS BETTER FOR EVERYBODY?
- ARE PEOPLE LISTENING AT THE STATE LEVEL IN TERMS OF
FINE-TUNING TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER?
- I THINK, WELL, WE -- DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION ON WELFARE
REFORM, WE ASKED OUR LEGISLATORS TO REALLY SLOW DOWN ON THIS
PROCESS, BECAUSE GOOD POLICY TAKES TIME.
AND FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SPECIAL SESSION BILLS THAT
REALLY CHANGED HOW THE FOODSHARE PROGRAM WORKS,
THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK ABOUT THREE WEEKS.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THREE WEEKS IS A GOOD ENOUGH TIME
TO MAKE GOOD POLICY.
- HOW IN YOUR MIND WILL INCREASING THE REQUIRED NUMBER
OF WORK HOURS AFFECT THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO EITHER GAIN
EMPLOYMENT OR LOSE ELIGIBILITY?
- WE ARE REALLY, REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.
RIGHT NOW THE WORK REQUIREMENTS AT 20 HOURS.
BY INCREASING IT TO 30 AND ALSO EXPANDING IT TO FAMILIES WITH
CHILDREN, WE BELIEVE THAT REALLY INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF
CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE, RIGHT?
SO WE HELP PEOPLE WITH FOODSHARE THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATION.
WE GIVE THEM GOOD INFORMATION TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION ON THEIR
OWN WHETHER OR NOT THEY TO WANT APPLY.
WE HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING AND
THEY'RE WORKING 20, 25 HOURS, 28 HOURS.
THEY WANT MORE HOURS, BUT THEY JUST EITHER AREN'T AVAILABLE
WHERE THEY LIVE OR THEY CAN'T GET THEM FROM THEIR EMPLOYER OR
DUE TO SCHEDULING.
THESE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING HARD,
PLAYING BY THE RULES AND JUST TRYING TO UTILIZE FOODSHARE AS
IT'S INTENDED, AS AN INCOME SUPPORT TO HELP THEM HAVE THE
NUTRITION THEY NEED TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT BY INCREASING THIS WORK
REQUIREMENT, SOME OF THOSE FOLKS ARE REALLY GOING TO SORT OF GET
CAUGHT IN AN UNMANAGEABLE CATCH-22.
- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE ASSET TEST?
IF SOMEBODY HAS A HOUSE THAT'S $320,000 OR A $20,000 CAR,
SHOULD THEY BE ELIGIBLE FOR FOOD STAMPS?
- I THINK WE SHOULDN'T MAKE POLICY THAT INCENTIVIZES PEOPLE
TO GET RID OF THEIR ASSETS IF THEY FALL ON SOME TEMPORARY
TOUGH TIMES, RIGHT.
LIKE I THINK AS WE KNOW IN TODAY'S DYNAMIC ECONOMY,
THINGS CAN CHANGE ON A DIME.
IF YOU'VE DONE THE RIGHT THING YOUR WHOLE LIFE, BUILT ASSETS,
I DON'T THINK THAT IF YOU LOSE A JOB OR GET INTO A MEDICAL
SITUATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO MAYBE SELL YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER
TO QUALIFY FOR REALLY TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE, RIGHT?
I THINK THE ASSET TEST IS REALLY A POLICY AIMED FOR THAT ONE OR
TWO BAD STORIES ABOUT THE PERSON DRIVING SOME EXPENSIVE CAR.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT THAT PERSON DIDN'T HAVE THAT EXPENSIVE CAR
WHEN THEY HAD A GREAT JOB AND SUDDENLY MAY HAVE LOST A JOB DUE
TO A DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY AND SOMEHOW STILL NEEDS THAT CAR IN
ORDER TO TAKE THEIR KIDS TO DAY CARE, LOOK FOR NEW JOBS.
I THINK WE WANT TO CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE ARE BUILDING
ASSETS TO GUARD AGAINST POVERTY, RIGHT,
NOT LIQUIDATE ASSETS SO IT'S HARDER TO GET OUT OF POVERTY.
- GOOD POINT. DAVID LEE, THANKS VERY MUCH.
- THANK YOU SO MUCH.